


Sole Survivor

by LeftyVoyager



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 05:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4335632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeftyVoyager/pseuds/LeftyVoyager
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Borg attack causes Voyager to crash, leaving Captain Janeway to search for survivors.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sole Survivor

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story years ago, but had no idea how to end it. Finally got around to it!

Sole Survivor

"Captain, we're being surrounded by Borg ships!" yelled Ensign Kim from his panel.

"Red alert! Tom, try to steer around them. We're more maneuverable than they are. Avoid all tractor beams," ordered Captain Janeway.

"I can't get through!" exclaimed Tom.

"They're penetrating our shields, Captain," said Tuvok. "They are invading the ship."

"Send security teams to block off their location," said Chakotay.

"The Borg have adapted to everything we have. Our security team is being assimilated," said Kim.

"We are the Borg. We are taking over your vessel. Resistance is futile," said the collective voice.

"I'm getting really sick of hearing that!" said Tom.

"If we don't get them out of here, we're all going to be SAYING that!" snapped Janeway.

"Seal off the bridge!" barked Chakotay.

Before it could be done, Neelix burst onto the bridge. A Borg-ified Neelix.

"Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!" he droned.

"Shoot him!" yelled Janeway.

"Captain?" asked Kim.

"Don't question me - just do it!" she yelled.

Meanwhile, the Borg cubes were firing on Voyager, and the ship was being flung through space like a rag doll.

"Captain, we're going down!" yelled Tom. Kim fired on Neelix and hit Tuvok instead. 

"Going down where?" asked Chakotay, choking on the smoke that was rising from in front of his chair.

"M-Class planet - we'll be in its atmosphere, soon!" yelled Tom.

"All hands, brace for impact!!!" announced Captain Janeway.

Kathryn Janeway woke up to the worst headache she ever had. But more hurt than just her head. She realized that her body was twisted at an odd angle, and there something very heavy on top of her. She knew that she was not exceptionally seriously injured, and the pain would pass. She opened her eyes. It was then that she found out that the weight on top of her was Chakotay. His body must have shielded her from the impact of the crash.

"Chakotay?" she called out. There was no answer. She checked for a pulse. There was none. He was dead. "Chakotay!" she gasped. But she held her tears in check. She had to find out who else had survived the crash. The next thing she realized was the brightness of the light... Her ship was completely in pieces!! There was sunlight coming in through the hull!! She looked up and saw the sky!!

"Well, at least we landed somewhere with breathable air," she commented to herself. She decided to tap her commbadge. "Janeway to anyone who can respond." She was greeted with static. "Don't panic, Kathryn, find a tricorder," she muttered to herself. She started to search through the rubble, but found nothing but dead members of her crew.

All of the bridge crew was dead. She counted them off one by one - Chakotay, Harry, Tuvok, Tom with B'Elanna in his arms. Neelix, the borg... All her friends, all dead. But she continued to search for a tricorder, determined to help any surviving crew members out of this mess. At last, after looking for almost half and hour and finding two broken ones, she found a working tricorder.

"This can't be working right," she muttered. "According to this, I'm the only one alive!" She then decided that she was going to go find each and every crew member and check for vital signs. As the sun was setting, she had counted 147 crew members. All of her crew. All dead. She was the sole survivor. She couldn't help but quote what she had said to Chakotay not long ago and not really meant. "I guess I am alone, after all." 

After digging through the remains of her ship all day, she was very tired. "Tomorrow, I will figure out what to do," she said, almost hoping someone would answer her back. She curled up next to Chakotay's body and fell asleep.

***

"What does it mean?" asked the captain. The remnants of her dream had been torturing her all day, snippets of dead crew haunting her thoughts. She was finally alone with Chakotay for long enough to describe it to him. They were having afternoon coffee in her ready room.

"It could be a lot of things, but usually a dream about death isn't really about the death of people. It could represent the end of a relationship, or a fear of making mistakes," answered Chakotay.

"I've had similar nightmares before, but this one was so vivid."

Chakotay observed the strain in her features. "This is really bothering you, isn't it?" he asked.

"I feel like I actually ran a tricorder over 147 dead people! Why shouldn't I be bothered?" she snapped. "I'm sorry, Chakotay." She stood from the sofa and stared out the viewport.

"Maybe you should stop by sickbay. You never know when an experience like this could be an alternate timeline or some strange phenomenon," advised the commander.

"What if it's a premonition? A warning," she wondered. 

"Kathryn. Go. To. Sickbay," said Chakotay.

The captain smirked, "Is that an order, Commander?" At his glare, she responded, "If only you told me how you really feel. You know where to find me."

She began her dreaded walk to sickbay, unhappy about the thought of the Doctor scanning her, which would inevitably lead to reprimands about her diet and sleep schedule.

At the captain's appearance in sickbay, the Doctor gaped at her and said dramatically, "Captain in the sickbay! Please state the nature of the medical emergency!"

"At ease, Doctor, before I decompile your program," said Janeway, testily.

"No need to threaten me. What brings you to sickbay?" asked the Doctor, scanning her with his medical tricorder.

"I think it was just a nightmare, but one can't be too sure. I had an extremely vivid dream about a Borg attack," said the captain. She then explained the entire episode while the Doctor scanned her.

"I'm not reading anything you don't already know, Captain," reported the Doctor. "Too much stress, too much coffee, not enough rest. I'm a doctor - not a dream interpreter."

Captain Janeway rolled her eyes. "I knew this was going to be a waste of time. Good day, Doctor." She started to leave when his expression softened and he reached for her arm.

"Captain, wait. It couldn't hurt to take off the afternoon and relax."

At his change in demeanor, she kept her retort to herself. She was certainly irritable, having snapped at both Chakotay and the Doctor. "I am feeling a bit tired, Doctor," she admitted.

He stared at her warily. A compliant captain was not the norm in his sickbay. "All right, Captain. Make sure you wear this cortical monitor. It will track your readings while you're experiencing REM sleep and automatically send the results to me." He placed the monitor on her forehead.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said, stifling a yawn. She quickly retreated to her quarters.

***

The next morning, Chakotay sat in his office reviewing the list of officers who hadn't yet reported for duty. At the bottom of the screen was a name that had never appeared on this report - K. Janeway, Captain. He knew she hadn't come back to duty after her visit to sickbay yesterday. Maybe she was actually ill. He decided to wait until he had issued performance warnings to the others on the list. He finished his reports and returned to the bridge.

His first glance was to the captain's chair - no one home. He sat in his chair and noticed Tom Paris turn around with a questioning glance. The captain's unusual absence was being noticed. Chakotay returned a stare that he hoped the helmsman would interpret as "mind your own business." Another 20 minutes passed. The captain was now almost two hours late for her shift, and the entire bridge crew had noticed. Finally, Harry Kim could remain silent no longer.

"Commander, aren't you worried something's wrong?" the ensign blurted out.

"Captain's prerogative, Harry - she'll come out when she wants to," answered Chakotay. He badly wanted to check up on her, but she deserved the benefit of the doubt.

After some more time passed, Commander Chakotay began to become very concerned. It wasn't like her to completely blow off a shift without notifying anyone. He turned the bridge over to Tuvok and entered the turbolift. When the doors closed, he ordered, "Computer, locate Captain Janeway."

"Captain Janeway is in her quarters."

He ordered the turbolift to go to deck 3, walked to her door and rang the chime. No answer. He rang again. After the third try, he entered his override code and charged into her darkened quarters. He approached her bedroom cautiously.

"Kathryn!" he called out. Still no answer. He entered the bedroom and found her on the bed. She was covered in a sheen of sweat, tangled haphazardly in her sheets. The cortical monitor she was wearing was blinking erratically. "Kathryn, wake up!"

She stirred, but didn't wake. "Chakotay to sickbay!" called out the commander, slapping his commbadge.

"Sickbay here. Is something wrong, Commander?" asked the ship's doctor.

"I can't seem to rouse the captain. She's hours late for her shift," stated Chakotay.

"Hmmm, her readings are showing an abnormal amount of time in REM sleep, but nothing to indicate any issues. She's been asleep since yesterday afternoon after she left sickbay. I'll meet you in her quarters. Try to wake her if you can," said the Doctor.

"I'll try," said Chakotay. He pulled some wet strands of her hair out of her face. He called out her name again and tried to shake her shoulder. Come on, wake up, Kathryn!"

"No. No, no, no," she called out weakly, thrashing slightly.

Chakotay took her hand and leaned in over her. "Kathryn, it's Chakotay. I'm here. Open your eyes for me."

"No. Dead, all dead. Ghosts," she murmured.

"I'm here, Kathryn. Not a ghost. Wake up and you'll see."

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up into Chakotay's concerned gaze. "Oh, thank God," she muttered. She wrapped her arms around him, not thinking for a moment about how she was wearing only a nightgown. She let her head rest on his chest.

"Talk to me. What's happening?" asked Chakotay.

"The dream. It keeps going. So tired," said the captain. "Don't let me sleep. Don't want to go back." She was weakly but frantically attempting to claw at him. Her words were slurred. The monitor she wore continued to blink erratically.

The Doctor entered without ringing the chime. "Captain, welcome back," he stated, running a tricorder over her and motioning for Chakotay to extricate himself and lay her down so that he could get better readings.

But she didn't want to let go. "No. Help me."

"We're trying to, Captain. You have to let me scan you," said the Doctor.

"She's afraid to sleep, Doctor. Some kind of recurring dream," said Chakotay.

The Doctor gasped, looking at his readings. "Not dreaming. I see evidence of brain wave manipulation!"

"Kathryn! Stay with us!" yelled Chakotay sharply. Her eyelids were drooping even as she fought to keep her eyes open.

"I can't," she warned.

He had to do something - fast. Shock her system somehow. He pulled her face to his and did the first thing that came to mind. He kissed her on the lips. Her eyes flew open. 

She nodded her understanding of his tactic. "Doctor, help," she mumbled. She tightened her desperate grasp on Chakotay's arms.

He tried one more time to surprise her, kissing her more forcefully and allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. She responded with a moan, but was unable to fight any longer. Her eyes closed, and her head fell back. Chakotay gently lowered her to the bed. "Now what, Doctor?"

***

Captain Janeway took in the scene around her. She was once again alone on the bridge of her damaged starship amidst the bodies of her dead crewmen. "My Doctor said something about brain wave manipulation," she called out. "What's going on?"

"Goldenbird," called out the calming voice of her father, Admiral Edward Janeway. He entered the bridge from the direction of her destroyed ready room.

"Daddy," she gasped, but she recovered her composure quickly. This wasn't the first time an alien presence had tried to manipulate her with her father. "You're not my father," she announced.

"You're right. I took this form so that I could talk to you. Maybe convince you to stop fighting me," said the conjured image of her father.

"First I need to know your intent. Who are you and what do you want with me?" demanded Captain Janeway.

"I am a scientist, studying your culture. You are a fascinating people, you humans. Much like us in many ways," said the alien.

She folded her arms across her chest. "If you know so much about us, you would know that we do not approve of using people for scientific experiments against our will. You would also know that the dreams you are forcing me to live are very traumatic. I really believed my ship went down and my crew is dead. It's my worst nightmare."

"I know that now. That is why I am trying to communicate with you now, Goldenbird."

She turned angrily on her father's image. "You have no right to use my father's pet name for me, you monster. Am I the only one in my crew that you are experimenting on?"

"I see you are angry. I am sorry. I did not know you would become aware of the dreams. Yes - I have only captured your mind. As the leader, you are the most interesting subject," explained the alien.

"What is happening to me while we are having this conversation?" she asked.

"You are asleep, dreaming. But you should try to calm down. If you are angry or upset, you will sleep fitfully. Your doctor will see you tossing and turning. They may try to rouse you again."

"They're worried about me. You should let me wake up and then leave us alone. You know we have a long journey home that we need to continue," said the captain.

He slowly shook his head. "I can't do that yet. I still need data from you. I want to convince you to help willingly."

"You have already stolen from me. Why should I help you?" she asked. "And what value does the study of my mind provide you you and your people?"

"You ask many questions. It's easier if you don't know," said her faux father.

The captain took a defiant step back. "I will help you no further if you don't answer my questions."

He took on the rare expression that her father wore when he was disappointed in her. "Ungrateful woman - I can always take you back to the Borg attack and leave you on the surface of that planet forever."

"That is not the tone of voice I would expect from someone who needs my help," said Janeway firmly with an unreadable poker face.

Her father's persona glared at her, an eerie reminder of the day another alien impersonated her father and nearly convinced her to follow him to her death. She held fast. Finally he spat at her, "You are heartless."

"Answers. Or allow me to wake and leave me alone."

The alien sighed. "Fine, this only proves why we need your help. We are not studying your people. We are studying you. We lack strong leadership. Other species are continually taking advantage of us, stealing our planets, convincing our children to join them. We need someone like you to stand up to them. Someone with undying devotion to her people. Someone who would scan a ship full of dead bodies one by one to make sure there was no one who needed help. We have studied hundreds of peoples who have travelled through our system. You are special."

Janeway nodded slowly. "I'd be happy to help you. But now that you have identified this supposed talent in me, why not let me talk to you in a setting more comfortable for me? In the waking world. Talking to you in your natural form. You can come on board my ship the right way. My people will stop worrying and stop trying to rescue me."

"No - you would try to escape. I have control here. Besides, our bodies are very different than yours. You would believe we were monsters. And direct communication through brain waves is clearer than the way your communicator would interpret our language ."

"Show me. Take your actual form now," said the captain.

"You will regret this request," said the alien. The form of Janeway's father began to change as he was surrounded by a multi-colored cloud. He didn't look like he was speaking, but there was a loud screeching noise that she wondered was maybe what his voice actually sounded like. When the dust settled, he appeared as a giant 6ft tall insect, his giant mandibles moving disturbingly. She gasped, stepping backwards away from him.

Janeway took a moment to regain her composure. Finally, she straightened and called out, "Your appearance changes nothing. I'm not afraid."

The alien changed its appearance once again, making it easier for them to communicate. This time, it took on a different persona. "I am impressed. Most cannot handle our true form."

"Mom," gasped Janeway. She froze, unable to respond. She had accepted her father's death, knowing she would never see him again. Her mother, on the other hand, was still waiting for her at home. Seeing her so realistically in front of her struck a nerve.

Her "mother" frowned. "This form upsets you."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "It's a shock. I need to get used to it. I haven't seen my mother in five years."

"I understand," said the form of Gretchen Janeway. "I'm sorry - I thought this form would be easier for you."

Janeway again composed herself, wiping away a few tears that had fallen before she could stop them. "I'm okay. I recommend that before we go any further, you allow me to wake up and explain the situation to my crew. They will not disobey if I order them to leave us alone. If we don't talk to them, they will try to wake me and possibly ruin your plan."

***

"Doctor to Commander Chakotay."

"Chakotay here, Doc."

"She's awake and calling for you."

"On my way," said the commander over the comm system.

"Thank you, Doctor," slurred Janeway.

"Captain, you're exhausted," commented the Doctor.

"Need to explain to Chakotay. Need to stay awake. It's an alien. First contact."

"Captain? How do I know you're not being manipulated?" asked the Doctor.

"Trust... Trust me," whispered Janeway as Chakotay burst through the doors.

"Kathryn - I'm here," said the first officer. He took her hand. "Are you all right?"

"Tired here. But not in the dream. I can talk to it there," she whispered. Chakotay had to strain to hear her. "Need to tell you before I fall asleep."

"I'm listening. Who can you talk to?" asked the commander.

"Alien. Takes the form of my parents. Studying me. Looking for leadership. I agreed to help under my terms."

"What else? Kathryn! What else?" asked Chakotay, shaking her when she appeared to lose focus.

"Do not try to wake me up. Need to sleep to talk to them. No matter what, Doctor. Readings will be erratic. I'll appear restless," said the captain as fast as she could.

"Kathryn - are you sure?" the commander asked.

"Yes, Chakotay. It's time to sleep. Love you," said Janeway, her head rolling to the side with a groan.

***

Captain Janeway took in the new scene presented by her new alien friend. It was the spitting image of her ready room, and she was sitting behind her desk. Tuvok walked in.

"Captain, I wanted this to be more comfortable for you, so I took the form of one of your friends," said "Tuvok."

Janeway took a calming breath. At least it wasn't as emotionally unsettling as talking to projections of her parents. "This is acceptable. What do you need from me?"

"You will train us in your diplomacy. We will go through some scenarios of our interactions with visitors to our space, and you will show us how you would have handled them," stated the alien. "The characters will be extrapolated from people you know in your waking life. Are you ready to begin?"

"Yes," answered Captain Janeway. The lighting switched to red alert.

"Captain to the bridge!" rang out Chakotay's voice.

Janeway exited the ready room. "Report!"

"We're under attack!" announced Chakotay.

"Shields - hail them! Evasive maneuvers!" The bridge shuddered.

"No response! Shields at 77 percent," announced Harry.

"Target their weapons. Fire!" called out Janeway.

***

"She's waking, Doctor."

"Captain? Can you open your eyes?"

The captain opened her eyes to an awareness full of pain. Her head was pounding, the lights were too bright, her limbs felt heavy. She was hungry and thirsty. "Doc?" she croaked.

"Computer, dim lights! Captain, the alien is no longer manipulating your brain waves."

"Tired," uttered Janeway.

"You're experiencing severe exhaustion," explained the Doctor.

"Thought I was sleeping," she replied.

"Your sleep was being hijacked. I'm going to leave you to normal sleep in just another minute. One more scan," said the Doctor. She realized then that he had been running a tricorder over her."

The urge to close her eyes was strong, but she wanted to see the face that belonged to the other voice she had heard. "Kotay..."

"I'm here, Kathryn," Chakotay answered.

"The ship," she whispered.

"Better than her captain," he answered.

"I hope so," she replied.

"Go back to sleep, Captain," ordered the Doctor. She did instantly.

"How long will she sleep, Doctor?" asked Chakotay.

"I'm estimating 18 - 24 hours. Her mind has been 'awake' for days now," answered the Doctor.

"Keep me posted," said the commander. He squeezed her hand and left for the bridge.

***

At the sound of the chime, Janeway looked up from her collection of reports. "Come in," she ordered.

Commander Chakotay entered the ready room, peace rose in hand. "Welcome back, Captain." He smiled, showing his dimples.

"Thank you. It's lovely." She took the rose from him and returned his smile. "These reports are very thorough - are you bucking for a promotion?"

"I was hoping in return, I'd see your report," answered Chakotay.

"Touché. I do have some of it written out, but it will take me some time to complete it. And I think I've already forgotten some of the scenarios."

"At ease, Captain - I was kidding," he laughed.

She also laughed. "I know, but I'm not. That was quite a mission. Thanks for holding down the fort."

"What was it like?" asked Chakotay.

"Sort of like a month of normal life in the Delta Quadrant stuffed into what felt like a couple of weeks. Followed by two days of exhaustion that I haven't felt since I used to cram for exams," she replied. "It feels good to be moving around. I had gotten very stiff. And I was so hungry that I think I used up my next month's worth of replicator rations in one meal."

They fell silent for a few minutes, her twiddling with the rose, and him tugging on his ear. Finally, he said, "Kathryn, I think we need to talk."

"I thought we were talking," she joked.

"Kathryn. Anyway, listen, when I kissed you, it was just that I wanted the element of surprise. I mean, I did want to kiss you..." rambled Chakotay.

"Chakotay," she responded to end his awkward explanation. "It was lovely. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It even worked for a few minutes... And yes, I do remember telling you that I love you."

"It's all right, Kathryn, I mean, you were exhausted," said Chakotay.

She smiled. "I meant it, Chakotay. I was going to be unconscious for an unspecified amount of time, and I felt like I wanted you to know."

"Then, if you don't mind my saying it, I love you, too," said Chakotay. 

They paused a moment, looking into each other's faces. "So, here it is out in the open. No stories, no legends, no near death experiences. We're in love," she said, softly.

"What do you want to do about it?" he asked.

"Well, let's look at this like any other challenge we have to face on this ship. We could ignore it," she began.

"Not usually the best option. Untended to feelings tend to fester until bigger problems are created," he continued. "We could proceed slowly, always making sure the needs of the ship come first. I think we're disciplined and mature enough to handle it."

"I think we need each other as much as the ship needs us," she whispered. "Let's do this."

His mouth claimed hers in a kiss as he answered, "Aye, Captain."

 

The End.


End file.
